Permutation padlock



Jan. 11, 1938. u H E, SQREF ET AL 2,105,337

PEHMUTATION PADLOCK Filed Feb. 4, 1937 FIG. Z

ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 1l, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE PERMUTATIONPADLOCK consin Application February 4, 1937, Serial No. 123,998

9 Claims.

The invention relates to locks and more particularly to permutationpadlocks.

An object of the invention is to provide an improved and simplifiedpermutation padlock wherein the shackle is automatically locked upon itsentry into the lock case.

Another object of the invention is to provide a padlock in which thetumbler permutation is automatically upset or disarranged upon the entryof the shackle into the lock case.

Y A further object is to pro-vide a padlock which is reliable inoperation and is capable of economical manufacture.

The invention further consists in the several features hereinafterdescribed and claimed.

One specic embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanyingdrawing, wherein Fig. 1 is a rear view of a permutation padlockconstructed in accordance with the invention, parts being removedand'broken away and parts being shown in section, the padlock beingshown in locked condition;

Fig. 2 is a sectional View of the padlock taken generally along the line2-2 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. 1, but with additional parts brokenaway and shown insection, the lock being shown in readiness forwithdrawal oi" the shackle;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View taken generally along the line 4-4 of Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a view generally similar to Fig. 1, but showing the shacklefully withdrawn;

Fig. 6 is a View similar to Fig. 5, but showing the shackle entered intothe lock to locking position;

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of a tumbler-rotating member;

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of a latch plunger forming a part ofthe lock, and

Fig. 9 is a detail perspective view of a shackle guide and stop.

In the drawing, I5 designates a lock case of any suitable shape, and inthe present instance of cylindrical form and comprising a front plate IBand an embossed rear plate II, the former plate being integral with thecylindrical portion of the case. The case has an enclosing cupshapedshell I8, preferably a sheet metal stamping, which fits closely on thecase and has a front cover plate I9 engaging the front plate I6 of thecase. An embossed rear cover plate marginally bears on the rear plateI1, and both of these plates are secured in place by a flange 2l formedby spinning over the rear edge of the shell I8. Preferably, the irontand rear plates I6 and I1 are further secured in place by riveted pinsor posts 22 and 23, which also secure the front cover plate I9 of theshell to the front plate I6 of the case.

A guide member 25, preferably in the form of a f sheet metal stamping,is rigidly secured within the case, and comprises a flat portion 26which rests on the inner face of the front plate I6 and is securedthereto by the riveted pin 23. Struck up from an end of the flat portion26 of the member is a flange 21 which extends between the iront and rearplates I6 and I1 and is provided with opposite lugs 28 which fit inanchor slots 29 formed in these plates. A round shackle-guiding opening30 is formed in the iiange 21,

A U-shaped shackle 3| has its legs slidably passing through openings 32formed in the case and shell. The longer leg of the shackle alsoslidably and rotatably passes through the opening 3|! in the guidemember 25, and the shorter leg has a beveled end 33 and a locking notch34 near this end. When the shackle is withdrawn to its outermostposition, the shorter leg clears the shell I8, as seen in Fig. 5, andthe shackle is then capable of being swung about its longer leg. Thelonger leg of the shackle is .provided with a keyway 35 in whichslidably ts a guide tongue 36 struck up from the guide member 25. Anannular groove 38 is formed about the end portion of the longer shackleleg and slidably receives therein a forked guide and stop plate 39 whichis conned on the shackle leg by the slidable engagement of a straightedge of the plate with the flat inner surface of the case plate I1, thisengagement also guiding the shackle leg and preventing rotation of theforked plate with respect to the case. 'Ihe forked plate is engageablewith the flange 21 of the guide member 25 to limit the outward movementof the shackle, as seen in Fig. 5. When the shackle is in its outer orwithdrawn position, it clears the tongue 36 to permit free swinging ofthe shackle.

A locking lever 4 I, forming a locking member, is pivotally mounted onthe pin 22 and movably carries a spring-pressed latch member, here shownto be in the form of a cylindrical latch plunger 42 slidable in a bore43 formed in the locking lever at right-angles to the pin 22. The latchplunger has a beveled nose 44 engageable in the shackle notch 34 toresist withdrawal of the shackle when the locking lever is locked, ashereinafter described. A compressed coiled spring 45 within the lockinglever extends within the hollow inner end of the latch plunger and urgesthe latch plunger outwardly. A hat-bottomed notch or recess 46 in oneside of the latch plunger receives the pin 22 which thus forms a stopLimiting the outward movement of the latch plunger and also preventsrelative rotation of the plunger with respect to the locking lever. Anarcuate tongue or lip 41 on the locking lever cooperates with tumblermeans hereinafter `described.

A stud 48 is rigidly secured, as by riveting, to an embossed portion ofthe rear case plate |1 and projects forwardly through apertured portionsof the front plate I6 and front cover plate i9. The tapered front end ofthe stud 48 loosely fits in a bore 49 formed in an operating knob 50which is rotatably mounted in the front plate I6. A dished dial plate 5|is carried on the knob against relative rotation, the knob having at itsinner end a cross slot 53 forming a keyway. The

rim of the dial is surrounded by an annular beadV 54, Fig. 2, which isembossed on the front cover plate i9 of the padlock shell. vThe dialvplate bears the usual indicia, not shown, and conceals the riveted frontendsof the pins 22 and 23.

A driving tumbler or disk 55 is concentric and rigid with the knob 5S,as by riveting it on the slotted end of the knob, and `carries the usualtransfer lug 56. One or more additional tumblers orfdisks 51 and 58arerotatable on the stud 48 and carry transfer lugs 60. The tumblers areseparated by washers 6| which have key projections entering a keyway 52on the vstud 48 and are placed under friction by a compressed coilspring 63 surroundingthe rear portion of the stud 48. As seen Vin Fig.2, the keyway 62 stops short of the front end of the stud so as toretain the tumblers 51 and 58 and other parts on kthe'stud prior to theattachment to the case of the stud-carrying rear' plate I1, which thusforms an easily handled sub-assembly.

'I'he tumblers 55, 51 and 58 have peripheral slots or notches 64 formedtherein toV admit the tongue 41 of the locking lever when these slotsare registered by adjusting the knob 5t, thus permitting the lockinglever to be swung tol permit the release of the shackle 3|. The lockinglever has a fiat surface 61, Fig. 3, engageable with the peripheries ofthe tumblers to limit rotation of this lever in one direction duringVclosing of the shackle.

The tumbler 58 is provided with a pin or projection 66 at its rear sideengageable by a downwardly projecting arm of a plate-like lever 68 whichis pivotally mounted on the pin 22, the lever having a bore 69 toreceive the pin. A side of the locking lever 4I is cut away to receivethe lever 58 and to form a shoulder or abutmentv16 engageable with theupper edge of the lever 68, this upper edge being cut away at 1| topermit a small relativeangular movement between these two levers. Thelever 68 is *confined between the locking lever 4| and the case platel1. One side edge 12 of the downwardly projecting arm of the lever 68hasv a concave form to permit rotation of the rearmost tumblerg'whichcarries the projection 66. forwardly projecting arm 13 which isengageable by the lower end of the short shackle leg to swing the lever,as hereinafter described.

When the padlock is to be opened, the combination knob 50 is turnedalternately in opposite directions to successive predeterminedpositions, thus rotating the tumblers to bring the notches thereof inregistered position for admitting the tongue 41 of the locking lever 4|.Fig. 3 shows the lock after the tumblers have been thus ad- The lever 63has a-Y `amasar justed. During the rotation of the tumbler 58, theprojection 66 thereof will displace the lever 5B slightly on its pivotalaxis so that the tumbler is free to turn one or more revolutions ineither direction, the projection sliding along the concave cam-formingedge 12 of the downwardly projecting arm of the lever. After the tumblernotches are brought into register, the'shackle is displaced outwardlywith respect to the lock case, as seen in Fig. 5, the locking lever 4|being tilted by the notched end of the withdrawing shackle, and thelever 68 being tilted with the locking lever. The outward movement ofthe shackle is limited by the engagement of the forked plate 39 on theshackle with the flange 21 of the guide member 25. In its outermostposition the longer leg of the shackle clears the guide tongue 36 Vofthe guide member 25, thereby permitting the shackle to be swung ineither direction about its longer leg. When the shackle is thusangularly ldisplaced in either direction it can 4not'be movedlongitudinally, since the guide tongue 36 isout of register with thekeyway 36 in the shackle, thus facilitating manipulation o-f thepadlock.

When the padlock is to be locked, the shorter leg of the shackle isre-entered into the case, the beveled end of the shackle leg engagingtheV arm 13 of the lever 68, thus moving the lever 68 downwardly. Thelever 68, being at its'upper edge engageable with the shoulder 1|) ofthe lock ing lever lil, swings the locking lever to its normal position,the latch plunger 42 entering the notch 34 of the shackle leg. Thelowerend of the lever 68 engages the projection '66 of Ithe tumbler 58,as seen in Fig. 6, thusturning this 'f' tumbler, and in some instancesone or both of thertumblers 51 and 55, out of unlocking position, anddisarranging the permutation. In'the tumbler-turning or upsettingoperation, the shackle is moved inwardly on its locking movement asho-rt distance past its normal locking position, as seen in Fig. 6.

When the shackle is withdrawn, frictional engagement will hold thelevers-4| and 58 inthe angularly displaced positions seen in Fig. y5. Inthis condition of the lock the shacklemay be returned to its lockedposition without requiring any yielding of the latch plunger 42. If,however, after the shackle iswithdrawn theqlever 4| should be permittedto return to or nearits normal or locking position the re-entry of theshackle would then cause the latch plunger V42 to yield against theaction of its spring 45. The latch plunger spring will be required tooperate only infrequently, if at all.

The construction of the padlock is such as to require relatively fewparts and tosimplify assembly. For example, the pin 22 connects thefront and rear plate of the case, secures the front cover plate of theshell to the front plate of the case, forms a pivot for both the lockinglever and combination-upsetting lever, forms a stop for the latchplunger, and prevents rotation of the latch plunger. The forked plate 39on the shackle forms both a shackle stop and guide and avoids thenecessity for riveting or upsetting operations on the shackle after itis inserted in the lock case.

What we claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a shackle,shackle-locking means including a rotatable tumbler movable to releasesaidshackle, and a shiftably mounted member directly engageable withsaid tumbler and shackle and disposed in the path of movement of aportion of said shackle to rotate said tumbler out of unlocking positionupon the locking movement of said shackle.

2. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a shackle,shackle-locking means including a rotatable tumbler movable to releasesaid shackle, and a pivotally mounted member directly engageable withsaid tumbler and shackle and disposed in the path of movement' of aportion of said shackle Vto rotate said tumbler out of unlockingposition upon the locking movement of said shackle.

3. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a shackle,shackle-locking means including a movable shackle-locking member and arotatable tumbler movable to release said member out of lockingposition, and a shiitably mounted member engageable with said tumblerand with said movable shackle-locking member and disposed in the path ofmovement of a portion of said shackle to move said shackle-lockingmember to locking position and to rotate said tumbler out of unlockingposition upon the locking movement of said shackle.

4. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a shackle,shackle-locking means including a pivotally mounted shackle-lockingmember and a rotatable tumbler movable to release said member out oilocking position, and a lever coaxial With said shackle-locking memberand engageable With said shackle and said tumbler to rotate said tumblerout of unlocking position upon the movement of said shackle.

5. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a shackle,shackle-locking means including a pivotally mounted shackle-lockingmember and a rotatable tumbler movable to relase said member out oflocking position, and a lever coaxial with said shackle-locking memberand engageable with said shackle and said tumbler to rotate said tumblerout of unlocking position upon the movement of said shackle, saidshackle-locking member and lever being coupled together but capable of alimited relative angular movement.

6. In a permutation lock, the combination of a locking means including amovable locking member, a rotatable tumbler for blocking the unlockingmovement of said locking member and movable out of blocking position, alockable member engageable with said locking means, and a pivotallymounted member directly engageable With said tumbler and lockable memberand disposed in the path of movement of a portion of said lockablemember to rotate said tumbler out of unlocking position upon the lockingmovement of said lockable member.

7. In a permutation lock, the combination of a lockable member, lockingmeans including a rotatable tumbler movable to release said lockablemember, and a shiftably mounted member directly engageable with saidtumbler and lockable member and disposed in the path of movement of aportion of said lockable member to rotate said tumbler out of unlockingposition upon the locking movement of said shackle.

8. In a permutation lock, the combination of a lockable member, lockingmeans including a movable locking member and a rotatable tumbler movableto release said member out of locking position, and a shiftabl;T mountedmember directly engageable with said tumbler and said locking member andsaid lockable member to move said locking member to locking position andto rotate said tumbler out of unlocking position upon the lockingmovement of said lockable member.

9. In a permutation padlock, the combination of a shackle,shackle-locking means including a pivotally mounted shackle-lockingmember and a rotatable tumbler movable to release said member out oflocking position, and a lever coupled with said shackle-locking memberand engageable with said shackle and said tumbler to move said member toshackle-locking position and to rotate said tumbler out of unlockingposition upon the movement of said shackle.

HARRY E. SOREF. JAMES KEITH MARSHALL.

